


Chocolates

by Andrew78591



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:07:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29455740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Andrew78591/pseuds/Andrew78591
Summary: It is Valentine’s Day, the time of holiday where people express their love to others in their own ways. The most popular way is giving them candy, specifically chocolates. And for a certain photographer, she plans to do that with a certain mechanic.
Relationships: Koizumi Mahiru/Soda Kazuichi, Komaeda Nagito/Tsumiki Mikan
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	1. Truffles

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, Andrew78591, here witha one shot fanfic for today's holiday. Happy Valentine's Day. Today, to celebrate the holiday, I decided to make this one shot for my favorite ship for this series. Hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Aaaaaaaannnnnnnd begin:

**_February 13_ **

At Hope's Peak Academy, as the set was beginning to set, every girl was in the kitchen of some kind. All of them making all kinds of chocolate sweets for the big day tomorrow. Some microwaved pieces of chocolate to make their truffles, freezing up the chocolate to create unique shapes such as hearts, or began decorating the chocolates and boxes for the finishing touches. At the kitchen of the girl's side of the dorms, a couple of girls of Class 77B were together. Helping each other to finish their Valentines chocolates. Mahiru and Mikan were mixing up chocolate together, with the photographer helping out the nurse from time to time. While Ibuki was decorating a mini chocolate version of herself. And Saionji was there, but she was eating some chocolate then really making any.

"Mahiru, am I doing this right?" Mikan asked as she showed her work of mixing up the chocolate.

"It's looking really good, Mikan. In fact, it looks like it's ready to be shaped now," Koizumi complimented her friend.

"Really? I-I'm glad for that. I thought I would mess up here," the nurse expressed as she and Mahiru grabbed the molds of their choice.

"I'm surprised she hasn't messed up already. I was so waiting for Pig Barf to screw up and have a laugh," Hiyoko said, insulting the nurse. Thankfully, Mahiru glared at the dancer to get her to stop and Saionji did.

"Don't listen to her, Mikan. Ibuki thinks that you're doing great. Better than when you tried doing it alone," Ibuki commented as she was finished decorating her chocolate self. "Besides, making chocolates with friends then by yourself is way more fun."

Tsumiki gave out a smile as she began to pour her chocolate into star and heart shaped molds. "I hope my chocolates turn out good. I just hope Nagito doesn't hate them."

"What are you saying? Of course he'll love them," Koizumi reassured her friend.

"I-I'm still not sure. I mean, what if he doesn't like chocolate. O-Or dislike getting them from someone like me. I wouldn't blame him if he did." Mikan said, still unsure about her chocolates.

Seeing this, Mahiru placed her hand on Mikan's shoulder, soothing and calming her friend. "You shouldn't doubt yourself so much. You put so much hard work and love into these that I'm sure he'll love them."

"There's also the fact that Nagito worships us like gods or something, so that increases your odds pretty well," Ibuki interjected.

While her friend's words seemed to cheer her up a bit, Tsumiki still wasn't sure about all this. Seeing this, Hiyoko let out a sigh before deciding to speak up.

"Look Mikan, no matter how much you prepare and junk, you won't know the answer unless you try. Just go for it and tell him how you feel," Saionji told the nurse. "If he loves your chocolates and you, then great, good for you. If not, then that's fine too. It'll hurt, but at least you went for it and got some closure. Besides, you got us three here… so you can come to us if things don't go well. To cheer you up and crap."

Hiyoko's words seemed to have cheered Mikan up as she smiled, tears in her eyes. "Thank you, Hiyoko. I think I really needed that."

"Whatever. I'm just that you stop whining," Saionji retorted.

"Aw, that's so cute. Our little dancer is trying to deny her wanting to help out a friend," Ibuki pointed out, teasing her friend.

"I just did it because I was getting tired of her crying, geez. Don't expect me to say something like that to her again," Hiyoko argued back, hiding her blush.

"Deny it all you want, but Ibuki can tell that you consider Mikan a friend. I can see right through your act," Ibuki countered.

"Pfff, whatever, I'm going back to my room. I want to enjoy my chocolates in peace now," Saionji said as she grabbed a bag of chocolates and left the kitchen.

"Ibuki's leaving too. I'm all done with my chocolate. So I'm going to write a song for my Valentine to make my gift even more special. See ya," Ibuki said as she placed her chocolate self in the fridge and ran off, waving goodbye.

"Bye!" Mahiru and Mikan shouted back as they went back to making their chocolates. Once all their chocolates were in their molds, the two placed them inside the refrigerator and cooled them.

"Okay, now we just need to let the chocolate form up before we put on the finishing touches. While we wait, let's get our boxes ready," Mahiru said she loved towards the counter with boxes.

"Sounds like a good idea," Mikan agreed as she looked through the boxes to choose. Koizumi chose to use a yellow box with pink polka dots while Mikan picked a green box with blue stripes. The two began to grab random accessories and decorated them to their heart's desires. Giving each other compliments on how lovely their boxes were.

"Hey Mahiru, I've been thinking and Hiyoko's right," Tsumiki said with confidence. "I've got to take a chance on this. Even if I'm scared of rejection, I have to at least try."

"That's great to hear, Mikan. I'm sure you'll do well with Nagito," Mahiru congratulated her.

"Thank you, and I'm sure that you'll do well with your Valentine too," Mikan said.

"W-What?" Koizumi spoke out in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"You're making Valentine's chocolates so I assumed that they're for someone special, right?" the nurse asked.

"Well… I mean… they're just chocolates I want to give to someone," Mahiru argued, trying and failing to hide her blush before muttering, "Besides, I'm not sure if Kazuichi will like these or not."

Mikan began to giggle by her friend's words. "Koizumi, I asked you if you were going to give those chocolates to someone special. I never mentioned anything about Kazuichi."

The Ultimate Photographer realized her mistake as her face turned red, her hands covering her face in embarrassment. "Crap," she muttered to herself.

"I-I'm very sorry. I-I didn't mean to pry into your head like that, honest," Mikan weeped, expecting to have to apologize for her rude behavior.

"No Mikan, it's fine, you did nothing wrong. It's just that I didn't expect myself to blur it out like that," Koizumi reassured the nurse.

"If you say so," Mikan replied. "Though it is interesting to see that you're making chocolates for Souda. Though when I think about it, you two have been hanging out a lot."

Mahiru had a slight blush on her, remembering her time with Souda. When they first met in their first semester, it did not start off well in the slightest. From The photographer getting annoyed at Kazuichi's antics and rude and cowardly behavior to his unhealthy obsession with Sonia Nevermind. He was the complete opposite of what a man should be in her eyes. While the mechanic saw her as an annoying girl that would constantly nag at him for every little thing he did. It seemed that the two would never get along.

However, that changed. As the school year went on, the two got closer. The more they argued and got at each other's throats, the more they understood each other more. Eventually, they calmed down and actually listened to each other. Learned more about who they were as a person and the struggles they endure to become who they are today. When he learned about her situation with her father and how she was forced to grow up as an adult, Souda made it his effort to be nicer and think before he said anything. He even helped Koizumi at times when she needed it. And when she learned about his life in poverty, having no mom, an abusive dad, no real friends, literally forced to learn and fend for himself, Mahiru changed her attitude towards him. She still scolded him at times, but it was much less harsh and more compassionate. Mahiru even made it her duty to help Souda, teach him how to cook, clean, and help him however she could.

It was because of this the two grew closer to each other. They enjoyed each other's company and respected their talents. They become close friends, which surprised a couple of their classmates, but were happy to see this change. She didn't know when but Mahiru eventually developed feelings for him. She loved being around him, hearing his jokes, appreciating the help he provides for her, and his smile. She unknowingly fell in love with him. It was because of all that, Koizumi wanted to give him a Valentine's gift to Souda, to show him how much she enjoyed their time with each other.

"Yeah, we have. And now I want to give them these… to show my love to him," Mahiru admitted, looking at her box, blushing at the thought of giving her chocolates to someone she never thought she would fall for.

"Aw, that's so sweet. I never thought I would hear that from you. He has captured your heart," Milan commented happily.

This made Mahiru blush. "Yeah, never expected that in all honesty. But even if I give him this, I doubt he'll feel the same way."

Tsumiki looked at her with a shock look. "W-What makes you say that?"

Koizumi lets out a sigh as she explained, "Mikan, we both know that Souda still has a thing for Sona. Heck, a few days ago, he talked about his excitement for Valentine's Day." She could still remember his words

'Oh man, I can't wait for Valentine's Day to come! I just hope Miss Sonia will give me some chocolates. Not only will they taste delicious since her country makes the best chocolates, but this could potentially give me a chance to be her boyfriend. That will be so cool!'

"He really said that?" Milan asked with a swear drop.

"He did," Mahiru replied annoyingly. Her expression then changed to sorrow as she looked back to her box. "I doubt he'll feel the same with me, even if I gave him my chocolates. Maybe I'm just wasting my time."

Before the photographer could dwell deep into these dark thoughts, the nurse placed a hand on her shoulder. "Koizumi, I know that you're scared about revealing your love. But like Saionji said, no matter how much you're prepared, you won't know the answer unless you try. So just go for it and tell him how you feel."

Mahiru was pleasantly surprised by what Milan had just told her. Out of all people, she never thought the nurse would give her a prep talk. She actually felt proud for her friend.

"I-I'm sorry if I stood out of line! Please forgive me!" Mikan shouted, weeping as usual.

"No! No! It's nothing like that! I'm just proud of you for helping me out like that. I really needed that. Thank," Mahiru reassured her friend.

"Oh… t-then I'm glad to be of help," the nurse said with a small smile. "Hey, since we're both scared of confessing our love tomorrow, how about we make a proposal?"

"What do you have in mind?" Koizumi asked.

"Simple, tomorrow on Valentine's Day, we give our chocolates to our crushes and tell them how we feel about them. No hesitation, no second guessing, we just let it all out and be done with it," Mikan explained. "And if we don't do it by the end of the day, then we'll have to face a punishment of some kind."

"Like what?"

"Hmmmm… maybe have it that we let Teruteru compliment us for the entire day?"

The thought of that made Mahiru shiver in terror before changing into laughter. "Okay, as bad as that kind of deal is, I think it would be a good way to motivate us."

"So is that a deal?" Mikan asked as she held out her hand, which Koizumi gripped and shooked.

"It's a deal."

Mahiru looked at the clock in the room and saw that it had been about an hour or so. "Hey Mikan, let's go check on our chocolates. See if they're ready now."

Mikan nodded in response. "Yeah, let's go."

The two girls went towards the fridge, talking further about what they will be doing after giving their chocolates. Even though Mahiru and Milan were very much nervous about tomorrow, there was also some excitement within. They wanted to confess and see how it will go for them. But for now, they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

* * *

**_February 14_ **

Today was finally the day. It was Valentine's Day. In every class, most girls were giving their chocolates to their crushes. She saw nearly every girl student giving away their chocolates to someone they care for. Hajime got gaming theme chocolates from Chiaki, Ibuki gave her chocolate self to Imposter, Nidai got a small chocolate bar from Akane, the latter eating the rest of it when she got hungry, and Fuyuhiko got poorly made chocolates from Peko, which he happily ate.

As Mahiru looked around the school to find Souda, she was met with an intriguing sight. She sees Mikan in the hallway with Nagito. Realizing what was about to occur, the photographer hid behind the corner and looked at the event unfold.

"So Mikan, you wanted to talk to me about something?" Komeda asked, blissfully happy as always.

"Um… yes I do," Tsumiki uttered out. Though she was having trouble letting out what she wanted to say due to her being nervous. "I-I'm sorry. I-I-I can't seem to be a-able to say what I want to say."

Nagito simply let out a chuckle. "It's fine, I understand. I mean, anyone would be weirded out by being around trash like me."

"W-What? N-No, it's not like that," she assured him.

Though Nagito being Nagito, he didn't really buy it. "You don't have to be formal with me, I understand that can be an annoyance to be around."

"Please, I just want to give you something important," Mikan said, weeping.

"Well okay then. What do you want to give-"

Komaeda didn't get to finish his sentence as Tsumiki presented him a box of chocolates. The lucky student was honestly surprised to see this. To see the nurse of their classroom giving him chocolates.

"T-This is for you!" Mikan announced, using every part of her mind to loudly say those very words.

"F-For me?" he uttered in shock as he grabbed the box and examined it.

"Y-Yes," Mikan replied. "So… will you accept it?"

Mikan closed her eyes and stood there, waiting for his answer. She felt extremely nervous, hoping for him to accept her love. However, she was also fearing that he would not only reject her, but hate her as well. Even Mahiru was waiting in anticipation for what Nagito's answer would be.

Komaeda stood there in silence before he began to chuckle a bit. "Mikan, I'm very flattered by this. Really I am. Especially from such a person like you. But, are you sure you want to be with someone like me?"

"Why do you ask that?" Mikan asked, feeling something bad might happen.

"Well, I'm not exactly someone you can call… the perfect one that people use. I mean, I'm not exactly an interesting guy honestly. You have an amazing talent that can bring so much hope to others. While I have a talent that usually causes more harm than good. I'm also not that very liked by everyone in class for obvious reasons," Nagito explained as gently as possible. "Again, I'm really flattered, happy even. But are you sure you want to be with someone like me? Unwanted trash?"

Mikan was quiet at the moment, weeping a bit. It almost seemed a bit sad by these turn of events. However, she wouldn't allow this to deteriorate her confidence and decided to answer his question. So with all her might, Tsumiki let it all out.

"Nagito, I know you don't see yourself as someone worthy of many things. Especially when it comes to love. I know because I tend to think that way too. Sometimes, I feel like I'm a burden with everyone in class, even if it's not true. But, I don't feel that way with you. Whenever you get hurt, you always come to me and I get to tend to you. It makes me feel useful and I feel happy when you compliment me for my efforts and hard work. I always feel happy when I'm with you and enjoy our talks together. And the more we did it, the more I started to like you. So I don't care about your flaws, I want to be with you. I want to get to know you better. So please, can you at least give it a chance?"

Mikan gasped a deep, taking deep breaths after that long speech. Then she remained quiet, waiting for what his answer would be. Hoping for all this to turn out good.

Eventually Nagito spoke once more. "That was really kind of you to say. Though I'm still not sure if I'm right for you."

Hearing that made the nurse weep more, nearly about to cry.

"However…" Komaeda held onto her hand, surprising Mikan as she looked at his happy smile. "If you really want to be with me, I should at least give it a try. I might really enjoy it."

Hearing that, Mikan began to cry in joy as she tightly hugged Nagito, tearing up on his shirt. Nagito was a bit taken back, but he simply hugged her back, soothing her. This would be a very odd relationship they will be in. But the lucky student and nurse felt that this would be a fun and happy experience.

Seeing how it went, Mahiru felt so much joy for her friend. Proud that Mikan was able to confess and that her crush accepted her. After everything she went through, the nurse deserved this. After seeing all that, Koizumi quietly left the scene to let those two have their moment. After all, she herself still had to keep her side of the deal and let out her confession to Souda. So she continued on to look for the mechanic.

"Mahiru!"

Koizumi turned around to the source of the voice. To her surprise and joy, she was greeted by Sonia as she had a double bag around her shoulder.

"Sonia, how are you?" Mahiru greeted her.

"I am doing very well. As everyone here, I am also celebrating Valentine's Day," the princess replied. Then she opened up her bag and dug into it, looking for something. "Speaking of, I have something to give you."

Before Koizumi could ask what it was, Sonia had found it and given it to her. The item was a fancy box of chocolates that looked extremely well made, as if a professional made it.

"Sonia, is this what I think it is?" Mahiru wondered.

"Yup, they're chocolates," Sonia answered happily. "But not just any chocolates. They're chocolates all the way from Novoslic and are considered the best of the best in my country. I had ordered them beforehand so that I could give them to my classmates."

"Oh wow, thanks Sonia. That was really thoughtful of you," Mahiru replied.

"It is no problem. But now I must go, I have more chocolates to give out," Sonia exclaimed as she was about to run off.

"Wait, before you go, do you know where Souda is?" Koizumi asked.

"Oh him? I believe he went into his workshop after I gave him a box," Sonia answered.

Mahiru simply sighed to herself as she should have figured. It would be obvious that Kazuichi would go somewhere private to enjoy chocolates from a princess.

"Thanks, I'm going to go check on him. See ya later," Mahiru said as she waved her friend goodbye with Sonia doing the same, going on her way.

With that done, Mahiru made her way towards Kazuichi's workshop. She stood there in front of the front entrance as she was starting to get cold feet. Koizumi always saw herself as someone that confronted any obstacles in her life no matter what. But with something like this, like love, she was hesitating as this was all new to her. She was afraid of rejection.

After about a half a minute of standing there, Mahiru shook her head, shaking off the fear. No, she wasn't going to back out now. She worked a lot to make these chocolates for Kazuichi and she wasn't going to let all her hard work and opportunity go to waste. With a deep breath, Mahiru mentality prepared her and entered inside the workshop. Once inside the room, she immediately saw where he was.

Mahiru found Souda sitting next to his desk, currently eating some chocolate from a fancy looking box. It didn't take a genius to figure out that it was the box of chocolates that Sonia was giving out to her classmates. With the box having the same design to the one she had. Seeing him eat them made the photographer feel upset, feeling jealous as well. It was typical of the mechanic to be eating chocolates he got from a princess and blissfully enjoying them to his heart's content. She was even doubting that her chocolates would even attract his attention now. I mean, how could plain, homemade chocolates even compare to ones that were professionally made in another country that specializes in making chocolate.

Despite that, Mahiru decided to walk up towards Souda and just get this done with. But when she got closer, she got a good look at his face. Kazuichi wasn't expressing the feelings of joy and bliss. But instead, he face was very much neutral, almost looking saddened as he slowly ate the chocolates. In fact, he barely ate most of it. That was something Koizumi was not expecting, especially with how he was excited about getting some from Sonia. Mahiru unknowingly stood there for a long time as Kazuichi turned around and let out a frightened yelp.

"Mahiru… when did you get here?" he asked, breathing steadily to calm himself. "And don't scare me like that."

Koizumi let out a small chuckle before explaining herself. "Oh, sorry Souda, I forgot how jumpy you can be. I just came in. Wanted to check up on you."

"Well, I'm doing fine, thank you very much," Souda reassured with his signature smile.

Mahiru let out a smile of her own before focusing back on the fancy box of chocolates. "I see you finally got chocolates from Sonia."

"Oh… yeah. Let everyone else, she gave me a box. So I decided to eat them here. To, you know, enjoy them," Souda answered casually.

"I see… and what do you think of them?" Koizumi asked, trying her best not to let her anger come out.

"Well… they're good. I mean, they should be. Sonia did say that she got them from a very famous chocolate business in Novoselic," he replied.

"She did say that… I'm glad that you're enjoying them." Mahiru was now seriously doubting herself that she even gave him her chocolates, even hiding them so that he wouldn't notice them.

"I mean they're good, but… they're aren't exactly great," Souda said, disappointed

Those words caught the photographer off guard as she asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Souda sat there in silence as he gestured to her to sit next to him and Mahiru did. He took a deep breath before he explained himself. "This may sound weird, but when I finally got these chocolates and ate one, all I felt was disappointment. I waited weeks for this moment to come, to get some delicious chocolates from a beautiful princess that is Sonia Nevermind. To be able to eat them, to taste the love in them. But I got none of that. Instead, they taste empty. Like, no matter how professionally made they are, I feel nothing for them. It doesn't help that everyone in our class got the exact same brand like me. And while I know that Sonia doesn't mean it, seeing this just makes me feel insignificant in some way. I mean, Gundham got a better looking box and chocolates compared to everybody else. Was I really that unimportant to Sonia that this is the best I'll ever get from her? Is this the universe's sick joke to tell me that I never had a chance with her?"

Mahiru was silent by what she was hearing. Never did she expect to hear Souda something like this. He was usually so cheerful and trying to make the best of most things in life, especially when it came to Sonia. But at this moment, the mechanic was finally getting the hint that he was never going to win her over. That he was better off being her friend at best. However, that didn't mean it was easy for Souda to accept. He looked very disheartened to face the truth. And the photographer felt pity for him.

" _Sigh_ … I know, I know, it's pretty stupid of me to think like this. This was to be expected and I should move on from this," Souda said, trying and failing to look alright.

"Don't talk like that."

Kazuichi was taken back when he saw Mahiru begin to lecture, yet also comfort him. "Souda, nothing about what you said was stupid. Sure, you had an unhealthy obsession with Sonia and I'm glad that you're starting to move on from her. But there's nothing wrong with feeling sad about it. Everyone has gone through some kind of heartbreak, that's just being human. So don't say otherwise."

Kazuichi sat there for a moment, absorbing the words she had before letting out a sad yet genuine smile. "Thanks… I think I needed that."

"No problem. I'm glad to be of help," Koizumi replied.

"Though, what should I do now? I understand now that I'm never going to get Sonia's love. But now I feel lost. Will I ever actually find love? Or is that concept just never going to happen for me," Souda wondered, still feeling blue.

Seeing this, Mahiru felt that this was the perfect time to finally let it out. Tell him what she feels about him and to cheer him up. It was now or never. Taking a deep breath, she let it all out.

"Souda, you shouldn't worry too much about that. I know it seems that you'll never find love, but you shouldn't lose hope on it. Because there are good qualities about you. You can be very kind and caring to others. Always wanting to help everyone in class as best as possible. And you've proved that you can be a hard worker when you're needed. Especially when you were willing to learn how to better take care of yourself. Granted, it can be annoying to deal with when you get stubborn and refuse to eat or sleep after hours of work. But it gives you a charm and further shows your dedication and commitment. The way you smile, and the way you always try to look at the best of things makes you special. I know there will be a girl that will love to be with you. I know I did when we hung out."

With all that let out, Mahiru placed her box of chocolates onto the desk, facing right in front of Souda. The mechanic was understandably shocked as he did not expect this. As he faced his friend, the photographer was already at the exit, looking back at him with a smile and blush on her face.

"Happy Valentine's Day," was all Mahiru said before leaving.

Once she was gone, Souda looked back to the yellow box with pink polka dots. Decorated with some stickers of sharks and marker drawn hearts. With a red bow to bring it all together. It was an odd box to be sure, looking like something a young grade schooler would make, but he couldn't help but admire it, love it for its charm. Then he opened it to reveal multiple rows of chocolate truffles, glazed with strings of white chocolate on it for flare. Grabbing one, Kazuichi placed it in his mouth and chewed it, tasting it. It tasted good, really good. It was nowhere near high quality and professionally made like Sonia's chocolates, but there was something to these that made them better. They tasted sweeter than anything he's ever eaten before in his life. And it felt satisfying, heartwarming when eating them compared to the Novoselic chocolates.

He wondered why these chocolates tasted a hundred times better than the ones Sonia gave him. As he thought about it, Souda noticed one of the reasons. It being that these chocolates were home made. The fact that someone took the time and effort to make these for him out of love made them taste even better. And the last reason, that took him a bit longer to figure out, that made these chocolates taste so sweet is what made his face blush.

The last reason these chocolates tasted good was because Mahiru made them for him.

The very same girl that he has been hanging out and getting to know better throughout their entire school year. Someone who he saw as an annoyance at first but later became a really close friend of his. But now, Kazuichi feels like there's more to it than before. In the past, he would have denied this as he didn't want to move away from his love with Sonia. But now, Souda couldn't deny any longer as he thought back to the times he hung out with Koizumi. The fun times and the bad times. He got to know the photographer very well and really respected her for her talent and being a strong yet compassionate woman. Even with her flaws, he still loved her for who she was.

That last sentence hit Souda like a ton of bricks as he came into full realization mode.

"Oh my god," he uttered quietly. "I'm in love with Mahiru Koizumi. And she feels the same way too."

With that realization within his head, Kazuichi knew he had to do something nice in return. But that can wait, as for now, he wanted to eat Mahiru's chocolates and enjoy them as much as he can. And if his plan goes well, Souda could possibly ask her to make him some more in the future.


	2. Fraise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s White Day for Hope’s Peak Academy. Meaning it was time for Souda to give his valentine, Mahiru, her own gift.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Andrew78591, here with second part of this one shot. It's finally White Day, meaning that it's Souda's turn to give Koizumi something in return. What could his gift be? Let's find out.
> 
> Aaaaaaaannnnnnnd begin:

"I beg your pardon, but you want me to do what?"

Inside an excellent looking kitchen within the school of Hope's Peak, we see Souda talking with Teruteru. The chef was currently minding his business, preparing food for lunch until the mechanic entered to talk with him. Teruteru did his usual thing and try to flirt with Kazuichi, offering him some delicious food, especially desserts. Though disgusted, Souda fought down the urge to leave as he wanted Teruteru to help him with something.

"I need your help on what to make for White Day."

Hanamura let out a chuckle as he looked at Souda with delight. "Why Souda, I never thought you would be bold to do something this romantic. Are you perhaps going to make some chocolate and involve your sexy body?" he asked with his perverted face, nose even bleeding.

"No… it's nothing like that," Kazuichi stated, trying his best to refrain himself from calling his friend disgusting and leaving the kitchen. "I need your help with ideas of what to make for Mahiru on White Day."

"Oh, you want to make something for the photographer, huh? Now that's a neat surprise. But you two do hangout a lot so I guess that makes sense," Teruteru said in a happy yet sexual way. "Though I would have thought you would make something for the princess of our class."

"Nah, I'm over Sonia. I don't really feel anything for her anymore after Valentine's Day. In fact, it was the same day that I understood my feelings for Mahiru when she gave me her chocolates. So I want to do something for her to show the feelings I have for her," Souda explained, feeling his face flush a bit, remembering that event with him and Koizumi. "So I really need your help here."

"Aw, that's so sweet, very unexpected to hear that from you. But it's still lovely to hear," Teruteru commented in delight, very much happy for his mechanic friend. "Though it's very odd that you come to me for help."

"What? Why? You can't help me?" Souda questioned.

"No, it's not that. I would be more than happy to help you. It's always a treat to broaden others in the culinary arts," Teruteru corrected his friend. "But why me? I'm pretty sure Ruruka, the Ultimate Confectioner, is better suited for the job."

Kazuichi let out a frustrated sigh from hearing that name. "Believe me, I tried."

"Really now? How did that go?" the chef asked.

"It went something like this," the mechanic explained as he told his story

* * *

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Why not?! I really need your help!" Souda complained to Ando, both walking through the hallway.

"For one thing: I have a lot of other guys asking for my help for White Day as is and I'm reaching the limit on accepting anymore." Ando explained to him, clearly annoyed by the mechanic. "And lastly, I don't exactly trust you with being around my sweets and workplace. Especially with how messy you can be."

"What? I'm not that messy," Souda argued.

"You have oil stains and other messes on the jumpsuit you're wearing!" Ruruka shouted, pointing at his dirty jumpsuit. "And you smell awful!"

"I just got out of my workshop after I finished fixing a car! I was planning on showering when I bumped into you," the mechanic explained.

"Yeah right," the confectioner scuffed. "Either way, I'm not helping you. Besides, don't you have an ultimate cook in your classroom? Go to him! He can help you with your problem."

"But- but-"

"No buts! I'm not helping you!" Ruruka made clear as she went on her way. "Now stop bothering me or else I'll have my boyfriend teach you some manners."

Clearly upset, Kazuichi wanted to say something to her. However, he stopped himself as Ando wasn't worth it. Especially if her boyfriend, Izayoi, gets involved. Letting out a sigh, Souda grumbled to himself as he went his way.

"Fucking bitch," he mumbled.

"What was that?!" Ruruka angrily called out.

"I said I have an itch!" Souda answered.

Ruruka looked at him with suspicion before letting out a huff and leaving. Souda did the same as to get out of a potential disaster.

* * *

"Oh my, you actually said that?" Teruteru said, shocked by what Souda called Ruruka.

"I did," Souda admitted, cringing at himself. "Main reason why I'm avoiding her, like the plague."

"Good call, after all, I have heard what Sonosuke does to others that insult his girl in any way," Hanamura commented, remembering the rumors on Izayoi.

Souda shivered at the thought of having to deal with an angry Sonosuke with Ruruka looking at the sight with great pleasure. "Yeah, don't want to deal with that."

"But in all seriousness, can you help me out here?" the mechanic asked once more.

Hanamura stood there for a moment, thinking about his request, before giving out a smile and said, "Well of course. I'm not busy at the moment and if it's to help someone in love, then I'll be more than happy to provide assistance."

Souda sighed in relief. "Thanks man, I owe you one."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Just helping you with your love problem is rewarding enough," Teruteru reassured.

"Though, if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me what your experience is when you give her your chocolates?" he asked with immense lust in his expression. "Really give me the juicy details of the kind of love you two would express with each other."

Souda responded with an annoyed and angry glare, pretty much telling him to stop immediately or else there will be severe consequences. It was because of that and Teruteru stopped talking as he let out a nervous and scared look. If there was one of the few things he was grateful for from Mahiru was how she helped him become a bit more assertive and even taught him how to glare like she did.

"Hehe… sorry, I got carried away," Teruteru admitted as laughed nervously, before recomposing himself, becoming more professional. "So what exactly do you have in mind that you want to make for your girl?"

Souda rubbed the back of his head as he expected this question. "To be honest, I don't really know what to make. I mean, I want to make chocolates for her, but I want to make them feel unique, make them stand out compared to the other chocolates that are made. But so far, I got nothing."

"Hmmmm, if that's the case, I can help you there," Hanamura said as he walked towards a shelf and pulled out a book. It looked like a typical cooking cook, though the letters and font of it looking fancier and the language seemed to be French. The chef placed the book on the counter and opened it up for the mechanic to see inside.

"Oh wow, there's a lot of recipes in here," Souda commented.

"Well of course there are, the French, especially Paris, are well known for their culinary dishes. Especially the ones that express love. So there should be something we can use in here," Teruteru commented as he turned the pages. "In fact, one comes to mind that is both delicious and simple enough for you to make."

Stopping at the suggested recipe, Kazuichi looked at the page and was presently surprised by this treat. "Fras… frase enro… bee… how do you say that?" Souda asked, trying to pronounce the words.

"It is called, fraises enrobées de chocolat, while I'm not sure the origins of this one, this is becoming a popular chocolate treat of love in France and the U.S. I can see this being something that Koizumi would love and would complicate her beauty. So what do you say?" Teruteru told his friend, waiting for his answer.

Souda took a moment of silence to look at the recipe and really think about it. This was definitely different from the many chocolates treats he's seen for White Day and Valentine's Day, they looked simple enough to make, and he felt that compliment Mahiru a lot. With a smile, Kazuichi made his decision. "Okay, let's make them," he responded.

"Excellent choice!" Teruteru shouted happily. With that, both Souda and Hanamura got to work and began to make the chocolate treat for tomorrow's Whitw Day.

* * *

**_March 14_ **

As of today, it was finally White Day for Hope's Peak, the day when people will give their reciprocal gifts to those who gave them gifts and accepted on Valentine's Day. While the holiday isn't all that celebrated compared to its sister holiday, there were a good number of students that participated. Class 77 being a good example as everyone that got a gift from their significant other returned their love something else as their gift. Whether homemade from Hajime with Chiaki, Fuyuhiko with Peko, or store bought when it came with Nidai getting multiple boxes of chocolates for the hungry Akane and Twogami giving Ibuki an expensive looking gift.

As school came to an end, Souda left his classroom as he made his way towards Teruteru's workshop. Once there, he entered and made his way towards the fridge. Opening it and pulling out a chilled red box of his chocolate treats. Opening the box, Kazuichi saw that they were ready. Reclining the box, the mechanic let out a deep breath, pumping himself up for what he's about to do.

"Okay Souda, you got this," he muttered to him. "You know that Mahiru likes you and you feel the same for her. Just tell her your feelings, give her your chocolates, and ask her out."

Although, even when he said this to himself, Souda was having doubts. After all, looking back with his past relationship, which was more like him attempting to get into a relationship with Sonia, he cringed at how he went about it. How he was very clingy to the princess, to the point of being a stalker. And how he let his emotions get the better of him. It was no wonder why Sonia never felt anything for him. But now Kazuichi has genuine feelings for Mahiru now. And he fears that he might screw this up somehow and act like he did to Sonia. He didn't want to sour the relationship with Koizumi, but was afraid that it might happen.

As he left the workshop, Kazuichi was thinking about whether he should confess his feelings or not. Less he makes the same mistakes again. But as he thought of that. the mechanic accidentally bumps into someone. Returning back to reality, Souda saw that he bumped into Mikan, who nearly fell but was saved by Nagito as he caught her on time.

"Oh crap, sorry Mikan. You alright?" Souda asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, thank you," Mikan reassured him.

"Let's be glad no one got hurt," Nagito commented. "Though, is something the matter Souda? You seemed to be distracted with your thoughts."

Kazuichi rubbed the back of his neck, feeling unsure. "It's nothing serious. I'm just trying to figure out how to handle this issue I'm dealing with."

As Mikan recomposed herself, she noticed a red box on Souda's hand. "Does it have anything to do with that box?" she asked.

Kazuichi was a little surprised by her assumption as he revealed the box to the two, kinda wishing that he hid it better. "Well… yeah, pretty much."

"I assume that it's for White Day?" Nagito asked which Souda nodded yes. "Well, you certainly have such hope within you. Especially if you plan on giving those to Sonia. Even if the odds are against you, I'm sure you'll find some form of hope from it."

"What? No, no! It's not for Sonia!" Souda loudly corrected the lucky student. "I got over her a while ago. She has Gundham now and the feelings I had for her are completely gone."

"Oh, if that's the case, who are those chocolates for then?" Nagito asked, curious about who Souda's new attraction is towards.

Kazuichi didn't say anything as he was embarrassed to say who. But Mikan seemed to have a good idea on who the person was. So she asked, "If I may be so bold, is that box for Mahiru?"

Souda's immediate facial change to a flustered look, turning his eyes away from the luckster and nurse. His cheeks and ear even turned red. The expression alone was enough to confirm Mikan's answer.

"Huh, this is certainly an unexpected change for you. But thinking about it, it does make sense. Especially with how happy you tend to be when with Mahiru. Filled with hope and joy just being able to talk with her," Nagito said, making Souda even more embarrassed and his face becoming redder.

"Um, Nagito, you should probably stop now. You're making him uncomfortable," Tsumiki told her boyfriend. Thankfully, that was enough to get Komaeda to stop talking as he let out a little chuckle.

"Sorry about that. I tend to get carried away," the lucky student admitted.

"It's fine. I've expected that at this point," Mikan said before turning her attention to the mechanic. "But Souda, I'm so happy that you're going with this. I'm sure you and Mahiru will be so happy together."

Souda let out a small chuckle. "Yeah, I hope so… though I am having doubts here."

Nagito and Mikan were taken back by his words. Not expecting Souda to have doubts with how persistent he can be sometimes. "W-Why would you think that?" the nurse asked.

Souda let out a sigh before he explained himself. "It's just that, when it comes to love, I feel like I'm going to screw it up. I mean, look at how I acted with Sonia. I was too clingy towards her, praised her nonstop, even kissing the ground she stood above, and worst of all, objectified her. It's no wonder why she never loved me. Now I'm falling in love all over again with Mahiru. And I'm afraid of doing all that stuff I did to Sonia to her. Mahiru is such a great person, one of the kindest and most beautiful girls I've ever met. She doesn't deserve to be objectified. I want to be with her, but I'm afraid that I'll screw that up."

Hearing his explanation, Nagito And Mikan perfectly understood Souda's dilemma. He truly did love Mahiru, the feeling he was expressing was genuine compared to his love for Sonia. But they could tell that he's scared that he might screw it up and didn't want to ruin such a great relationship with the photographer. Understanding the situation, Mikan knew what she had to do in order to save Kazuichi from his current despair.

"Souda, please listen well to what I'm about to say," Tsumiki said boldly, getting the mechanic's attention with even Komaeda's attention as well. With her being the main focus, the nurse took a deep breath and spoke. "This may be a breach in privacy but I feel like this could help you. You see, when Mahiru was going to give you her chocolates on Valentine's Day, she was also having her doubts."

Kazuichi was surprised to hear Koizumi doubt herself like that, especially with how straightforward she can be when expressing her thoughts and feelings. Mikan continued her talk as said, "She explained to me how she doubted herself on whether you accept her chocolates and love. After all, you were into Sonia during the time. But I told her that she should just express her feelings to you without hesitation. Whether you would reject her or not, she had to take that step. And it seemed to have paid off well with how you plan on getting her something for White Day."

Souda couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as Mikan was right about that. He was happy to hear that Mahiru really does love him, with him feeling the same way.

"So you should do the same. Tell her your feelings and express how much she means to you. Then give her your gift. No hesitation whatsoever. I know you can do that," Mikan told Souda.

"She's right, Souda," Komaeda spoke up, getting the mechanic's attention. "You need to have hope and confidence in expressing your love to Mahiru. Besides, you're not giving yourself any credit. It's true that you were very much a stalker with Sonia and your love for her was unhealthy. But I don't sense any of that when you're with Mahiru. Tell me, what are the bad and good things about her?"

Seeing as the lucky student was curious and seemed to want to help him, Kazuichi let out a sigh before answering his question. "Well, when it comes to her flaws, she can be stubborn, even more so than me, her standards can be way too high for me to reach, and her nagging can be irritating to deal with at times."

"However, there's so much more to her than that," Souda expressed as he continued. "Mahiru is such a kind and compassionate person. When Koizumi gets on my case, I understand that she only does that because she cares about me. Besides, she's calmed down a bit and loosing up a bit. She's such a smart, quirky, passionate girl, that I sometimes kick myself for not realizing how much I really love her sooner."

"That's all I needed to hear," Komaeda said happily. "The fact that you love her, even with her flaws, shows that you've changed. You're being more cautious and open with love. And with how your relationship is now, I'm sure that you'll be able to treat her right. Have hope Souda. With that, you'll find happiness."

"He's right. Just let it all out and everything will be fine," Mikan joined in.

Those words seemed to do the trick as Kazuichi was overflowing with determination and confidence. They were right, he has learned from his mistakes and has better because of it. And Mahiru was there to help him when she had to. Souda loved the photographer and he was prepared to express herself and make her his, but in the right way.

"You guys are right. It's time I stop doubting myself and just let it all out!" Souda expressed loudly. "Thanks Komaeda and Mikan."

"It's no problem, I'm always glad to be able to spread hope," Nagito expressed.

"Same here. Now go on and find Mahiru. She should be at the outside area where some of us eat lunch," Mikan told the mechanic.

"Thanks, I'll be going now, see ya!" With that, Souda ran off towards his destination to find Koizumi.

"It seems that things will go just fine now. Considering how upbeat Souda is now," Nagito pointed out.

"Yup, I wish him the best of luck," Mikan said happily. "Though you were good at supporting him. You really gave him hope."

"Aw, I can't take all the credit. You also have him those encouraging words to help him out of his despair. You've grown a lot, my love. Even becoming more confident with yourself," Nagito complimented the nurse, who blushed in delight. "Though, speaking with Souda did remind me that today is White Day and I have something for the occasion."

Mikan was confused by what Komaeda meant as he put his hand in his jacket's pocket to grab something. After a couple seconds, Nagito finally found what he was looking for and presented it to Tsumiki. To her surprise and joy, he presented an amethyst colored ring.

"A couple days ago, I was forced into a bank robbery. Luckily, after two hours of being their hostages, the robbers were stopped and arrested. As we were set free, I happened to find this ring on the ground. The color reminded me of you and beauty. So I thought it would be a perfect gift for you," Nagito explained as he placed the ring onto Mikan's ring finger.

Seeing the ring wrapped around her finger made Mikan cry in blissful joy as she hugged Nagito. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

Komaeda let out a heartfelt chuckle as he placed his hand on the nurse's cheek and moved her face towards his. "Anything for you, my love," he said softly as he kissed Mikan.

* * *

Back with Souda, the mechanic had finally made it outside of the school and was now in the open area, which consisted of multiple tables, chairs, and benches. Once there, he looked around to find Mahiru. It didn't take long as he spotted the redhead immediately as she was sitting on a bench, looking at the photos she got in her camera. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Souda took a deep breath, pumped himself up, and walked towards the photographer.

"Hey Mahiru," he said, getting the girl's attention.

"Oh hey Souda, how are you?" she replied, happy to see him.

"Oh nothing much, just wanted to see you and stuff," he responded, trying to hide his nervousness.

"That's great to hear. You want to hang out? I'm not doing anything right now," she offered.

"I would be happy to. But before anything, I have something I want to tell you," Souda said, doing his best to keep his composure.

"Oh sure. What is it?" Koizumi asked, wondering what he was going to say.

Taking a deep breath and reassuring himself, Souda let it all out. "Mahiru, as you might know now, that I'm over Sonia. I don't love her anymore and I'm just moving on with my life. And while eating her chocolates was one of the reasons why that obsession went away, there was another reason behind it."

"And what reason would that be?" Mahiru asked.

"It was when I ate the chocolates you made for me." Mahiru was taken back by what Souda said, feeling a warmth in her chest as the mechanic continued. "When I ate them and compared them to Sonia's, it was like night and day. Sonia's chocolates were empty and tasted alright. But yours were good, like really good. I say they were the best chocolates I've ever had in my life. Hell, thinking about them makes me want to have more. But they also made me realize something that I should have noticed by now."

Kazuichi looked at Mahiru in her eye, holding her hands as he said, "I realized that the person I truly love… is you. I know we didn't get along at first, In fact, we argued way too much. But the more I knew about you, the more I respected you as a person. The more I started to like your traits and personality. You can be overbearing at times when you scold me. But you're such a caring and loving person that I don't mind them. In fact, it further tells me that your only scolding me is your way of showing that you care for my well being. And the fact that you stood by me, even with my flaws, and took the time to help me with my problems, I almost took that for granted, but not anymore. Mahiru, you're not the girlfriend of my dreams, you are so much better than that. And I want you to be by my side."

Those words seemed to have a massive effect on the redhead. Mahiru felt so touched by his kind words that her eyes were tearing up, shocked yet happy at the same time. "Y-You really mean that?" she uttered.

"More so than anything," Souda replied as he pulled from behind him a red box and presented it to Koizumi. "Happy White Day. I hope you like them."

Focusing on the gift, Mahiru took the box from Kazuichi's hands and began to open it. Lifting up the lid, she was greeted by a delicious looking treat. Inside the box were twelve strawberries, all covered in either white or pink chocolate with a pink or white stripes for decoration.

"Are these strawberries?" Koizumi asked in awe.

"Yup, they're chocolate covered strawberries. Apparently they're really popular in France and America. And see as you're a cute red, freckle girl, I felt that they suited you very well," Souda explained.

Mahiru laughed at the joke he made, comparing her to a fruit. "So I'm a strawberry, huh?" she asked jokingly.

"Yup, a sweet and cute little strawberry," Kazuichi replied.

Letting out a quick giggle, Mahiru picked up one of the chocolate covered strawberries and took a bite out of it. She was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was, with the sweet and fruit and chocolate combination creating a delicious flavor on her taste buds. "Oh wow Souda, this is really good," she complimented the mechanic.

"Hehe, thanks. I made them myself. Though I had help with Teruteru. I'm just glad they turned out well," Kazuichi responded in a grateful tone.

"Looks like teaching you how to cook really paid off," the photographer commented with the mechanic nodding in response. Finishing up her strawberry, she asked, "You want one, Souda? There's a lot here and you should enjoy yourself."

"You know what, I should," he answered with a smile.

"Great, pick one and give it a tast-"

Without warning, Kazuichi went up to Mahiru and gave her a kiss on her lips. The photographer was very much surprised by this yet didn't mind. In fact, she quite enjoyed it. Although the kiss was quick, Souda made sure he got a good taste before separating. The mechanic moved his tongue around his mouth as the red head's cheeks turned red.

"Mmmm, you are a tasty strawberry," Souda commented, feeling proud of himself.

Koizumi's face turned red by his comment before punching his chest, Souda laughing at her response. "Don't just do something like that out of the blue, geez!"

Kazuichi simply let out a laugh. "I'm sorry! It was tempting and I couldn't resist."

Mahiru eventually stopped as she laid her head against his chest. "You're an idiot… but you're my idiot."

"I know," Kazuichi said as he hugged the photographer, with her doing the same. The two stayed like that as they enjoyed each other's embrace and love.

"Hey, I know this might be sudden, but you want to go out with me? Like maybe today or some other time?" Souda asked.

"Sure, sometime tonight sounds good," Koizumi replied as the two broke up their hug. "So until then, let's eat these chocolate covered strawberries. And remember, the ones in the box."

"Okay, okay, I get it. I guess I won't be able to have my special then," Souda said as he grabbed a strawberry and ate it. "But that's fine, one taste is good enough for me."

"I never said that you can't have anymore." Mahiru cheeks blushed as he looked at Kazuichi with a seductive look. "After we're done with the ones in the box, you can have another taste."

Souda was taken back as his cheeks turned pink before letting out a playful smile. "I'll be looking forward to that."

With all that, the photographer and mechanic began to enjoy them as they ate the chocolate covered strawberries. All the while holding each other's hands. While this would be a new experience for the two, Kazuichi and Mahiru knew that they were going to enjoy this very much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaaaannnnnnnd that's a wrap. That's the end of this romantic journey for the mechanic and photographer. Hope you guys enjoyed this one as I enjoyed writing it, Happy White Day.
> 
> Discord Server: Symbiote Lair
> 
> Discord Account: Dragon78591#7491
> 
> As always, feel free to either favorite, comment, tell me your thoughts on this, or ask me a question and I'll answer it in the next chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Aaaaaaaannnnnnnd that's a wrap. Looks like Souda has figured out his feelings here and plans to return them. But you'll have to wait for that when White Day occurs. Hope you guys enjoyed this Valentine's treat from me to you.
> 
> Discord Server: Symbiote Lair
> 
> Discord Account: Dragon78591#7491
> 
> As always, feel free to either favorite, comment, tell me your thoughts on this, or ask me a question and I'll answer it in the next chapter.


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